Everyone wants to get a great deal when buying a newer Pre-owned Vehicle in Grand Rapids but how good a deal you’re actually getting can depend largely on making sure you’re getting top dollar for your current vehicle. Simply said, if you aren’t getting the best trade in value possible for your current vehicle, the hard truth is you’re leaving money behind on the bargaining table. While a lot of people focus entirely on the sticker price of the vehicle they’re looking to buy, whether new or used, they often underestimate the hidden money sitting right in the very car they drove to buy it. Fortunately, there are a few tricks to help you get the most for your trade in!

Periodical Maintenance

It might sound surprising but getting the most for your trade in starts from the very beginning of owning the vehicle. By taking the time to do the little things in the beginning and following through your ownership with periodical maintenance including regular oil changes, tune-ups and having it serviced, you’ll help prolong the lifespan of the vehicle and show a prospective dealership that it has been well cared for.

Clean It Up

On the heels of showing a prospective dealership that your vehicle’s engine has been well cared for, we turn our attention to the outer appearance and interior. While it may be tempting to pay to have the car detailed by a professional, if your goal is to keep more green in your pocket, you might consider doing as much as you can do yourself. Start with the basics by giving the exterior a good wash and include a wax, either manually or by taking it through a car wash. Next, move into the interior, removing anything that adds clutter or unnecessary, throwing away any trash you come across. Then focus your attention on giving a good wipe down to the dashboard, console, door jams, windows, mirrors and handles, as well as vacuuming out the interior. If you find your floor mats and upholstery are stained or dingy, try giving them a light scrub with soapy water and then removing the moisture using a wet/dry vac to prevent molding or a musty smell from developing. Not only will this make it look better but it will also show a dealership your car is well taken care of, which will be important to any prospective future buyers.

Understand Your Worth

Too often, people approach a dealership having a misguided concept of what their vehicle is truly worth which can lead to disappointment with a trade-in offer that may, in fact, be a fair assessment for the area you live in and the market. Or worse yet, a dealership may offer you too low of a trade in value when it is actually worth much more. Doing a little bit of research before you venture onto the lot can help you have a better understanding of what the real value your vehicle has in your area. Checking websites like Cargurus and NADA as a starting point, understanding that those are general guidelines and could change depending on many factors including the condition of the vehicle, your geographical location and the state of the market.

Know Your Market

As we stated above, the market can play heavily into what the top dollar is that your vehicle can pull in. Trying to trade in a convertible in the middle of January in Grand Rapids probably won’t have the same results as trading it in in June. Additionally, trading in a gas guzzling SUV while gas prices are skyrocketing lessens the odds that you’ll get the most out of your trade in. While you may not be able to control when you need to buy a different used car, van, truck or SUV, it’s something to consider when negotiating a fair trade in price.

Trusted Dealer

Many dealerships, like Broadmoor Motors, have online reviews you can read to see what the general consensus of previous customers has been in the past. While that can’t assure you will have a positive experience, it can certainly help you weed out new or used car dealerships where customers are consistently unhappy and leaving complaints of issues left unresolved. We’re proud to say that Broadmoor Motors has built a reputation with treating our customers fairly as the focal point and ensuring they are happy with their car buying experience, while also creating a no pressure environment for them to shop comfortably within.

If you find yourself searching for your next used SUV, minvan, truck or car that comes equipped with AWD or 4WD, we invite you to check out our current inventory of Used Trucks, Vans, SUVs and Cars. At Broadmoor Motors, we specialize in finding the right used minivan, truck, SUV or car to fit your personal or business needs, all while giving you the best deal we can on both your purchase and trade in. Our family has been in the car business for over 60 years and continues to be family owned and operated in all of our Caledonia, Hastings and Wayland locations with financing available to those who qualify. We will find you the right vehicle to fit both your budget and your needs in a pressure free environment.

Check out our reviews online and buy with confidence!! Family Owned & Operated and with Financing Available, we stand behind our Vehicles and our Warranty so you can be assured your used Car, Truck, Van or SUV will be reliable! Broadmoor Motors is your local choice for Car Sales in the greater Hastings, Middleville, Caledonia, Grand Rapids, Wayland, Byron Center, Dorr, Hopkins, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Lansing, Lake Odesa, Kentwood, Holland, Zeeland, Moline, Cutlerville, Wyoming, Hudsonville, Grandville, Jenison, Hamilton, Ionia and Allegan. Ask about our BMG Protection Plan, this is not an aftermarket product! area. Let Broadmoor Motors save you time and money when buying your next quality, Pre-Owned Car, Family Minivan, All Wheel Drive SUV, Commercial Van or Work Truck. Whether you need to replace your current car, minivan, truck or SUV with a great used vehicle, we can help you out. Broadmoor Motors is here for all your Car Sales, and Auto Service needs in the Byron Center, Kentwood, Caledonia, Middleville, Hastings, greater Grand Rapids, Wayland and Barry County area. With three locations to serve you in Wayland, Hastings and Caledonia, we’re here for all your Sales & Service needs. Give us a call at 616.698.9595 in Caledonia, 269.397.2400 in Wayland or 269.320.6304 in Hastings to see how we can get you back on the road!

There are hundreds of used vehicles available to purchase in Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas. With so many options, it can be difficult to narrow down which is best when you’re ready to purchase your next used car, work truck, minivan, SUV or commercial vehicle. While it may be impossible to avoid all mistakes in life, avoiding these 10 used car buying mistakes can help you feel more confident that you are getting a great deal on a good used vehicle…

1. Not Doing Researching – Before you even begin to shop around, whether online or in person, it’s important to do your homework so you know what type of vehicle will work for you and what options are non-negotiable for your lifestyle. Once you are confident in the kind of vehicle you are looking for (sedan, SUV, van, truck, etc.), you can begin to look for dealerships in your area that carry a large selection or with the options/mileage you are looking for so you can begin to narrow down which ones you want to see in person.

2.Skipping a Test Drive – Test Drives are your chance to feel a vehicle out. How does it handle, how does it sound, how does it feel behind that wheel and on the open road? These are just a few things to consider before buying a used vehicle. Too often, people skip a test drive entirely or they take too short of one. Test how the vehicle feels on a variety of roads and consider if there are blind spots, the ease of getting car seats in and out or if the front seats can sit far enough back to ride comfortably when a car seat is properly in place, how it drives on both the highway and side streets, and even how easy it is to park.

3. Not Shopping Loan Interest Rate – Most people may be completely unaware but many dealerships mark up the interest rate when financing a vehicle for a buyer in-house. While Broadmoor Motors does not profit or mark up loans it handles financing on, in order to know if you are getting the best possible rate available, it’s important to shop around to different credit unions and banks to see what is available and the conditions that are required to secure that rate (new vs. used, credit score, amount borrowed, etc.). Additionally, having an idea of where your credit score stands will help you have a better understanding of what banking institutions you might secure a loan through.

4. Ignoring Online Reviews – Reviews are there to help future customers know how past customers felt about their experience. No business is immune to getting a poor review from time to time from an unreasonable or unruly customer but if you are consistently reading about bad experiences about a specific dealership, buyer beware.

5.Foregoing a Mechanic’s Opinion – While we stand behind our vehicles with a 30 day warranty, we also encourage all of our buyers at Broadmoor Motors to take the vehicle they are considering purchasing to a trusted mechanic for a second opinion about the vehicle’s condition. Foregoing doing that means there may be unpleasant surprises down the road for you and the vehicle.

6. Buying From a Questionable Salesman – Remember those dealership reviews we talked about? They hold true to salesmen as well. At Broadmoor Motors, we are proud to offer our customers a Pressure Free environment to shop with and the integrity of our staff and our customer’s reviews help solidify they felt the same way. If you feel uncomfortable or uneasy about the salesmen you’re working with at a dealership and don’t feel you can trust them, walk away.

7. Leasing Instead of Buying – Leasing a vehicle instead of purchasing may be the best option for some but for the majority of people, it’s a money-losing move. The most common expense incurred from leasing a vehicle has to do with the frequent mileage caps placed on the terms of the lease. Typically, drivers are allotted between 10,000-15,000 miles per year but what drivers may forget is that they will be charged anywhere from 10¢ and 30¢ per mile on the overages! That adds up fast and could mean you end up paying hundreds if not thousands at the end of your lease with no vehicle at the end to show for it. In addition to mileage fees, leaser’s can end up paying for any damage to the vehicle that is considered outside of normal wear and tear. Dealerships have different definitions of what is considered normal and our advice is to find out ahead of time what conditions are being placed on your lease before signing on the dotted line or you could be flipping the bill to have it repaired.

If you find yourself searching for your next used SUV, minvan, truck or car that comes equipped with AWD or 4WD, we invite you to check out our current inventory of Used Trucks, Vans, SUVs and Cars. At Broadmoor Motors, we specialize in finding the right used minivan, truck, SUV or car to fit your personal or business needs, all while giving you the best deal we can on both your purchase and trade in. Our family has been in the car business for over 60 years and continues to be family owned and operated in all of our Caledonia, Hastings and Wayland locations with financing available to those who qualify. We will find you the right vehicle to fit both your budget and your needs in a pressure free environment.

Check out our reviews online and buy with confidence!! Family Owned & Operated and with Financing Available, we stand behind our Vehicles and our Warranty so you can be assured your used Car, Truck, Van or SUV will be reliable! Broadmoor Motors is your local choice for Car Sales in the greater Hastings, Middleville, Caledonia, Grand Rapids, Wayland, Byron Center, Dorr, Hopkins, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Lansing, Lake Odesa, Kentwood, Holland, Zeeland, Moline, Cutlerville, Wyoming, Hudsonville, Grandville, Jenison, Hamilton, Ionia and Allegan. Ask about our BMG Protection Plan, this is not an aftermarket product! area. Let Broadmoor Motors save you time and money when buying your next quality, Pre-Owned Car, Family Minivan, All Wheel Drive SUV, Commercial Van or Work Truck. Whether you need to replace your current car, minivan, truck or SUV with a great used vehicle, we can help you out. Broadmoor Motors is here for all your Car Sales, and Auto Service needs in the Byron Center, Kentwood, Caledonia, Middleville, Hastings, greater Grand Rapids, Wayland and Barry County area. With three locations to serve you in Wayland, Hastings and Caledonia, we’re here for all your Sales & Service needs. Give us a call at 616.698.9595 in Caledonia, 269.397.2400 in Wayland or 269.320.6304 in Hastings to see how we can get you back on the road!

Not everything you see or read (especially on the internet) should be believed, including rules of the road and how to take care of your vehicle. Today, we’re debunking Top Driving Myths that you may unknowingly be following…

You Only Need Your Headlights At Night

Many people consider headlights to be a tool strictly for their own benefit behind the wheel but the truth is they are actually there for the benefit of everyone on the road. Not only do they help to make the road more visible to the driver of the vehicle they are being used, but they also help the vehicle increase its visibility to other drivers on the road. In fact, some states such as Michigan, have made it a law that drivers must use their headlights during inclement weather in order to increase their visibility and help prevent an accident from occurring.

Oil Needs To Be Changed Every 3,000

Regular oil changes are important to maintain proper lubrication in your vehicle’s engine but having oil changes completed too often can be an unnecessary expense. While most dealerships strongly encourage people to have their oil changed every 3,000 miles, experts have agreed it simply isn’t needed that frequently.

Engines Need To Be Warmed Up

Back in the day, carburetors did need to be warmed up in order to mix the right ration of air and fuel for the vehicle to perform at its best and not stall out but this helpful tip has long been past its prime. Today’s modern engines no longer utilize a carburetor and instead rely on fuel injectors to supply the correct ratio of fuel and air while driving. This makes the need to “warm up” your car no longer necessary and honestly, just a waste of fuel as well as a negative to the environment.

Red Cars Are More Expensive To Insure

In a recent study done by Progressive Insurance, 29% of people asked believed that owning a red vehicle would result in higher insurance premiums but the truth is the color of your vehicle is not one of the many factors that play into your insurance premium’s expense. While every company has their own algorithms they use to decide what your premium will be, it’s seemingly universal that the color of the vehicle is not one of the key factors.

Premium Gas Should Be Used Periodically

No matter what you might have heard, using a higher octane fuel in your vehicle’s gas tank than what is recommended will not actually help clean out your fuel injector or other parts of your fuel system. Today’s fuel typically has the same additives needed to help your engine perform at its best but even if you’re buying cheaper fuel, it should not be a problem to your vehicle’s modern fuel injection system.

Fueling In The Morning Is Better

It’s been said time and time again that to get more gas for your dollar, you should get gas when it’s coolest. It stands to reason that since gas is a liquid and measured in volume, it’s accuracy is affected by how much it expands (warmer weather) or contracts (cooler weather). Much debate has been had on this topic, including legislators! The finding? Gas stations typically store their fuel in underground tanks, where the temperature variation during the day is much less than in the air above. The result is that the temperature of the gasoline coming out of the fuel nozzle varies very little, if at all, during any 24-hour stretch at any particular station.

Hands-Free Devices Are Safer

Many people (80% to be exact) believe that hands-free talking, texting or navigating are safer but this couldn’t be further than from the truth. The reality is, talk to text can surprisingly be more distracting than by texting by hand! In over 30 studies, it has been proven time after time that the brain remains distracted despite the hands now being free. Additionally, 53% of people of U.S. driver’s believe that hands-free units and infotainment centers in dashboards must be safer if they are built into current vehicles. This myth has propagated a larger problem where drivers feel overconfident using these in-vehicle systems when they should instead be limiting their usage.

If you find yourself searching for your next used SUV, minvan, truck or car that comes equipped with AWD or 4WD, we invite you to check out our current inventory of Used Trucks, Vans, SUVs and Cars. At Broadmoor Motors, we specialize in finding the right used minivan, truck, SUV or car to fit your personal or business needs, all while giving you the best deal we can on both your purchase and trade in. Our family has been in the car business for over 60 years and continues to be family owned and operated in all of our Caledonia, Hastings and Wayland locations with financing available to those who qualify. We will find you the right vehicle to fit both your budget and your needs in a pressure free environment.

Check out our reviews online and buy with confidence!! Family Owned & Operated and with Financing Available, we stand behind our Vehicles and our Warranty so you can be assured your used Car, Truck, Van or SUV will be reliable! Broadmoor Motors is your local choice for Car Sales in the greater Hastings, Middleville, Caledonia, Grand Rapids, Wayland, Byron Center, Dorr, Hopkins, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Lansing, Lake Odesa, Kentwood, Holland, Zeeland, Moline, Cutlerville, Wyoming, Hudsonville, Grandville, Jenison, Hamilton, Ionia and Allegan. Ask about our BMG Protection Plan, this is not an aftermarket product! area. Let Broadmoor Motors save you time and money when buying your next quality, Pre-Owned Car, Family Minivan, All Wheel Drive SUV, Commercial Van or Work Truck. Whether you need to replace your current car, minivan, truck or SUV with a great used vehicle, we can help you out. Broadmoor Motors is here for all your Car Sales, and Auto Service needs in the Byron Center, Kentwood, Caledonia, Middleville, Hastings, greater Grand Rapids, Wayland and Barry County area. With three locations to serve you in Wayland, Hastings and Caledonia, we’re here for all your Sales & Service needs. Give us a call at 616.698.9595 in Caledonia, 269.397.2400 in Wayland or 269.320.6304 in Hastings to see how we can get you back on the road!